- Identifier: Alabama House District 71 (AL-HD-071)
- State chamber: Alabama House of Representatives (lower chamber)
- State key: sldl:01:71
- Wiki path: explore/places/al/lower/71
- Chamber legislative process overview: Alabama Legislature Process
- Chamber district map source: Alabama Legislative GIS 2021 Plan
- Current incumbent reference: A.J. McCampbell, Democratic member (record extraction date 2026-09-30 via Alabama House Directory)
- Certified 2026 general election candidate: Artis "A.J." McCampbell (DEM), certified 2026-08-26 by the Alabama Secretary of State
¶ 2. Geography and Communities
- Spatial extent: West longitude -88.421453 to -87.566825, South latitude 32.038212 to North latitude 33.288756, anchored by US Census Bureau TIGER/Line 2024 Files
- County overlaps: Sumter County, Marengo County, Pickens County, and Tuscaloosa County
- Incorporated municipalities with substantial district footprint: Demopolis, Alabama, Livingston, Alabama, York, Alabama, Aliceville, Alabama, Epes, Alabama, Cuba, Alabama, Sweet Water, Alabama, and Gainesville, Alabama
- Municipalities with partial perimeter overlaps: Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Northport, Alabama, Linden, Alabama, Pickensville, Alabama, and Coker, Alabama
- Smaller incorporated towns and census designated places: Bellamy, Myrtlewood, Providence, Geiger, Panola, Memphis, Emelle, and McMullen
- Primary highway transportation corridors: Interstate 20/59 crossing Sumter County toward Tuscaloosa and Meridian; U.S. Route 80 running east-west through Demopolis; U.S. Route 11; and Alabama State Route 17
- River basins and natural drainages: Tombigbee River, Black Warrior River, and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway navigation channel
¶ 3. Population and Electorate
- Total district population: 48,201 persons (margin of error ±1,882) based on US Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
- Median household income: $43,871 (margin of error ±$2,383) measured in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars via US Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024
- Poverty status: 9,158 persons (margin of error ±965) living below poverty level out of a determined poverty universe of 43,348 persons (margin of error ±1,877) via US Census Bureau ACS 2020-2024
- Demographic composition context: Black Belt rural district with a substantial majority-minority African American voting age population distributed across small municipal centers and unincorporated agricultural communities
¶ 4. Elections and Political Context
- Administrative calendar for 2026: Alabama primary held May 19, 2026; primary runoff held June 16, 2026; general election scheduled for November 3, 2026, governed by Alabama Secretary of State Election Information
- 2026 general election nominations: Artis "A.J." McCampbell certified as the Democratic candidate for House District 71 on 2026-08-26 by the Alabama Secretary of State Certification Files
- Electoral character: Historically solid Democratic performance consistent with regional rural Black Belt voting patterns in west-central Alabama
- Historical tenure: Incumbent A.J. McCampbell has represented the district since first taking office following special and general elections in 2006
¶ 5. Economic and Civic Anchors
- Higher education anchor inside district: University of West Alabama, public four-year university located in Livingston providing education, research, and regional employment
- Healthcare provider inside district: Whitfield Regional Hospital, acute care facility serving Marengo County and the Demopolis trade area
- Federal institution inside district footprint: Federal Correctional Institution Aliceville, low-security female facility operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Pickens County
- Regional heavy industrial employer: Georgia-Pacific Naheola Mill, major paper and pulp manufacturing facility located in Pennington, Choctaw County, drawing labor from across southern District 71 and maintaining a key regional-serving relationship
- Industrial building materials anchor: CEMEX Demopolis Cement Plant, industrial processing facility situated along the Tombigbee River in Demopolis
- Regional tertiary medical connection: DCH Regional Medical Center, major regional hospital located in Tuscaloosa providing trauma and specialty care to residents of northern District 71
¶ 6. People and Organizations to Map
- Key leadership: Representative A.J. McCampbell (District 71 member)
- Higher education governance: Board of Trustees and administration of the University of West Alabama
- Civic leadership bodies: Demopolis City Council, Livingston City Council, and Aliceville City Council
- Correlation question 1: What relationship, if any, exists between educational program investments at the University of West Alabama and long-term population retention across rural Sumter and Marengo counties within the district?
- Correlation question 2: What relationship, if any, exists between capital and operating support for Whitfield Regional Hospital in Demopolis and healthcare access outcomes for residents across the southern perimeter of Alabama House District 71?
- Correlation question 3: What relationship, if any, exists between navigation dredging and lock maintenance along the Tombigbee River and production output at regional employers such as the Georgia-Pacific Naheola Mill?
¶ 7. Representation and Legislative Work
- Current representative: A.J. McCampbell (Democrat)
- House of Representatives standing committee work documented in Alabama Legislature Directory: Service on House Transportation, Utilities and Infrastructure Committee; Ways and Means General Fund Committee; and Insurance Committee
- Policy focal points: Rural infrastructure development, funding for Black Belt educational institutions, Medicaid expansion advocacy, and highway corridor safety upgrades connecting west-central Alabama to metropolitan transit hubs